Members of the Queer Legislative Caucus are pushing for legislative action against the threat of transphobia after a Minnesota trans woman was shot dead last month.
A Minneapolis man is facing murder charges for shooting 38-year-old Savannah Ryan Williams following a sexual encounter in late November, & the group is calling out the incident as a hate crime.
Amber Mum with The Aliveness Project says the queer community is reeling.
“We miss Savannah dearly, and she should be here with us today,” Mum said. “Our hearts are broken, but we’re going to keep fighting, and we’re going to keep pushing, and we’re going to make Minneapolis the best trans community in the country.”
DFL Minnesota House Rep. Leigh Finke says that Savannah’s death was caused by one reason.
“Because Savannah was a trans woman, she is dead,” Finke said. “Transphobia is rampant in America, and it is deadly. Our community faces a constant threat of lethal violence in the United States.”
The Aliveness Project says that Savannah’s death cannot be treated as an isolated incident, & that this is the third murder of a transgender victim this year in Minneapolis.